The present invention relates to apparatus for detecting an angular rate (or angular velocity) of a moving body, such as an automobile, a video camera, etc., a control apparatus for controlling movement of a moving body, such as an automobile, and an apparatus for detecting acceleration of a moving body. The apparatus for detecting an angular rate employs first and second acceleration sensors mounted on a moving body for detecting angular rate, using outputs of the first and second acceleration sensors and a positional relation between the first and second acceleration sensors.
Various methods are known of detecting an angular rate of a moving body. There are a method employing a vibration gyroscope (JP-A 64-16912), a method employing an optical fiber gyroscope (JP-A 64-1906), a method employing a gas rate sensor (JP-A 63-243763) and a method employing supersonic waves (JP-A 1-127963), for example. Further, a conventional yaw rate detection method of detecting a yaw rate of a vehicle is known, which is disclosed in JP-A 63-218866, wherein wheel velocities are used for detecting indirectly a yaw rate which is a kind of an angular rate.
Any of the above-mentioned conventional methods of detecting angular rate, except for the method in JP-A 63-218866, detect directly angular rate. These methods need complicated apparatus for practicing the methods.
Apparatus for carrying out the yaw rate detection method is simple. However, the method has a problem of detection preciseness because conditions of load surfaces and wheel rotation for detection of wheel velocity influence the yaw rate detection results.